some nasty surprises to deal with, and I must defeat Blinky!"

 

"Nasty surprises?"

 

He waved his hand, and the bar disappeared.

 

I was back on Fifth Avenue. Annabeth hadn't moved. She didn't give any sign that

I'd been gone or anything.

 

She caught me staring and frowned. "What?"

 

"Um . . . nothing, I guess."

 

I gazed down the avenue, wondering what Mr. D had meant by nasty surprises. How

much worse could it get?

 

My eyes rested on a beat-up blue car. The hood was badly dented, like somebody

had tried to hammer out some huge craters. My skin tingled. Why did that car

look so familiar? Then I realized it was a Prius.

 

Paul's Prius.

 

I bolted down the street.

 

"Percy!" Annabeth called. "Where are you going?"